Three Lakeland School Board (LSB) members took the oath of office tonight (12.10.18) at the monthly business meeting at City Hall.
Deborah Thomas is serving her first term on the Board after being elected Nov. 6th. Kevin Floyd and Laura Harrison were reelected and started their second terms tonight. Doing the honors was Lakeland’s Municipal Judge Taylor Cates.
The Board members and their families were feted at a reception before the start of the meeting.
Link to agenda: https://lakelandk12.org/res/web/12.10.18%20Business%20Meeting%20Agenda.pdf
Link to Google album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bfHCA2wHmLbh5Mtr9
Member Geoff Hicks presented a preliminary legislative agenda for Board members to take to legislators for the annual Day on the Hill in Nashville Feb. 18th-19th. He noted the 2019 legislative session convenes Jan. 8th.
Board members approved the legislative agenda shown below:
Mr. Hicks noted the item on local control of schools is a recurring theme and support on limitation of state-mandated testing is a hot button issue. Opposition to electing rather than appointing a director of schools (superintendent) has been on the list before, he said.
In his report to the Board, Dr. Ted Horrell, LSS (Lakeland School System) superintendent, said the October and November financial reports are posted to the website and everything is tracking on schedule.
Link to two reports:
https://lakelandk12.org/res/web/FY%2018-19%20Oct.%20Expense%20Summary.pdf
https://lakelandk12.org/res/web/FY%2018-19%20Nov.%20Expense%20Summary.pdf
Of both school cafeterias, Dr. Horrell said he is seeing the LES (Lakeland Elementary School) cafeteria slightly in the red while LMPS (Lakeland Middle Preparatory School) is very much in the black. He credited the middle school numbers to selling more a la carte food items.
But, he noted, between the two schools, the cafeterias are in the black.
Lakeland does not have a high school for grades 9-12. Instead, students attend Arlington High School through an interlocal between the cities until a high school is built in Lakeland.
The consent agenda was approved as were two policy updates dealing with student transportation management and ethics.
Vice Chair Harrison was selected as Board liaison to the Textbook Adoption Committee. Mrs. Thomas was appointed to the Policy Committee with Mrs. Harrison as back up. Former LSB member Kelley Hale was appointed as the non-Board member to the Ethics Committee. The two Board members selected for that committee were Teresa Henry and Vice Chair Harrison.
Kevin Floyd, LSB chair, said elections for chair, vice-chair and TLN (Tennessee Legislative Network) positions will be made at a January meeting.
Chair Floyd asked Dr. Horrell to meet with Shane Horn, Lakeland city manager, for possible dates the LSB can have a joint retreat with the BOC (Board of Commissioners).
… Photos by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents
Link to Livestream: https://livestream.com/lakeland/events/8487863
